March of the Penguins!

March 3^rd

Who knew that there were penguins in Africa?!  The Black Footed Penguins are found along the coast of Southern Africa as well as the coast of Namibia.  The 30ish other American students I came to South Africa with and I took a bus to Cape Point and Boulder Beach on Sunday, March 3^rd.  Cape Point was rounded by Bartolomeu Dias in 1488 and as well as by the Dutch when they settled in the Cape area in 1652 (a bunch of other navigators rounded the point between these times too).  The peninsula is part of Table Mountain National Park and has a huge variety of plants, many of which are endemic to the area.  We walked around the Cape of Good Hope (the most South-Western point in Africa), the Cape Point Lighthouse and then we went to Boulder Beach which is home to one of the small penguin colonies in South Africa.  There was a boardwalk going through the penguin’s habitat, so it was kind of like walking around an open-air zoo, but then some of us went to another beach, where we actually got to get really close to the penguins.  I could have picked one up and cuddled with it if I wanted, but I figured I would give them their space (also, I didn’t really feel like getting my face ripped off by a cute penguin).

Here are some photos!!

Some pictures of the view of the Cape of Good Hope!  It was a beautiful day and the ocean went on forever.  I thought I saw South America, but I think it was just a trick of the light!

Oh no - late for the bus!!

Daniel and I hiked up a little mountain (it was really a rocky hill) to get a better view, and on our way we saw a bunch of these animals.  I can't figure out how to spell their name, but if I had to guess, I would spell it "Dossies."  These animals are related to elephants and have black pee.

I'm trying to catch one!  But they were too quick for me.  I did get to touch one though.  It wasn't as soft as I thought it was going to be.

We drove to the tip of Cape point.  This is the old lighthouse that was operational from 1860 to 1919.  There is a newer one at the very tip of the rocky point.  According to this sign, New York is only 12,541km - pretty swimmable if you ask me.

Same with the South Pole!!

Here's the very tip of the Point.  Daniel and I climbed around on these rocks (I don't think we were actually supposed to, but we did).  We tried to get as close to the very tip as we could without doing anything too reckless.

It was so windy - probably the most wind I have ever experienced in my life.

Daniel and I.

Climbing around!!

The lighout house from the point!

Get ready for some major cuteness!!  The penguins were so funny.  They're such awkward creatures, but I think that's what makes them so great!

So many penguins!!

My footprint and some prints of a penguin.

Katie the penguin!

Hanging out in the sun with the penguins.  The rock was covered in poop which was kind of gross, but that's alright.

Ally, Sam and I pretending to be penguins.

I really wanted to touch a penguin, but I didn't want to disturb them.  It's kind of hard to see in this picture, but there was a penguin sleeping right next to fence.  It looks like I'm touching it, but I'm really not.  It was really bizarre, because we had to walk through some woods in order to get to the beach and there were just penguins in the woods.  It was a very strange sight when you usually think of penguins chillin' on the ice!!

Awkward photo!